Ladysmith Black Mambazo at LSO St Luke’s, EC1

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With Nelson Mandela’s name appearing in every news bulletin, this visit by
Joseph Shabalala’s venerable a cappella troupe could not have come at a more
appropriate moment. Like the indefatigable trumpeter Hugh Masekela,
Ladysmith Black Mambazo have become cultural ambassadors for the nation that
has emerged in the decades since the ANC leader emerged from prison.

Curiously though, Mandela’s health went unmentioned in the stage
announcements. His Nobel Prize was touched on: nothing else was said.
Ladysmith shows tend to proceed in their own stately, time-honoured fashion,
paying little heed to updating the presentation and staging. For
traditionalists that is